ISSN

1937-3392

Abstract

Aim: Biomaterials that mimic the nanofibrous architecture of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) are in the focus for stem cell hosting or delivery in tissue engineering of multilayered soft tissues such as skin, mucosa, or retina. Synthetic nanofibers for such ECM are usually produced by single-syringe electrospinning with only one needle-jet at very low production rates of 0.005–0.008 g·min−1. The aim of this study was to utilize a novel industrial needle-free multijet electrospinning device with the potential for mass production of nanofibrous ECM (NF-ECM) exhibiting a controlled three-dimensional (3D) morphology for large-scale applications such as large area skin regeneration in patients with burns.

Results: Large-scale mass production of NF-ECM membranes with a highly homogenous nanofiber morphology and 3D architecture could be produced with an extremely high production rate of 0.394±0.013 g·min−1·m−1 when compared to standard procedures. This was achieved by electrospinning a 20% wt/v gelatin solution, in an electric field intensity of 0.381 kV·mm−1. The nanofibers possessed diameters of around 180±40 nm with 28% deviation. HSMCs proliferation was significantly improved on NF-ECMs derived from collagen, gelatin, and PLGA when compared to PCL or flat coverglass controls (p

Conclusion: Needle-free multijet electrospinning can be used to mass produce artificial ECMs with intrinsic biocompatibility and desirable integration of stem cells for large-scale applications.